Thursday, April 30, 2015

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend— two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley. The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party — three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

*MY THOUGHTS*

After reading The Distance Between Us and On the Fence, Kasie West found herself on my auto-buy contemp author list. Then when news about The Fill-In Boyfriend was released, there was no question that I was going to read this. West has something special when it comes to contemps and she especially shows it in this one. Her characters and their realistic nature caused me to fall head over heels for this book boy very quickly.

"Words are powerful."pg. 24 (ARC)

The worst time to break up with someone is before/during a date. Make that date your senior prom, and you have the worst timing in the history of ever. And that's exactly what Gia's boyfriend did. He broke up with her in the parking lot of her senior prom and just when she was going to give up, she sees the perfect someone that can act as her "Fill-In" for the night. But as time goes on, she finds that her "fill-in" left more of an impression on her than she thought....

"I like weird. Normal is so boring."pg. 117 (ARC)

My favorite part of this was of course the freaking boy of course. He was a nerd and he helped Gia with no questions all the time. He helped her even when she didn't know she needed it. And he never questioned it. He was such a sweet heart and he wore dorky shirts and was an actor. He was so amazing. As for Gia, she had the biggest change in her character that I've seen in a long time. Her arc was impeccable. She went from spacey and needy for attention to finally figuring out why she was craving all that attention. I was sp proud of the person she was becoming. She learned who her real friends were and why those are the type of people you need in your life. And not the ones that only want to be around when things are good or you're being mean. Which brings me to the only reason I didn't give this five stars. This one character, Jules, was a pain in my (and I'm sure everyone else's) ass. She was a vindictive, lying, mean girl for no reason. Just reading what West wrote, she was just jealous of Gia the entire time and I was so angry at all Gia's other friends for not seeing this. I was also angry at them for being so mad at Gia when everything came out, because they had already proved to listening to EVERYTHING stupid Jules had to say, so they should've not been so harsh.

"Depth is found in what we can earn from the people and things around us."pg 211 (ARC)

As for the romance, I LOVED it. Although their relationship started out as fake, it became real pretty quickly. Not that either of them knew it was happening, but it was. And fast. And I couldn't have been happier. I was so excited to see what was happening between the two of them as they had their super weird "revenge dates," and all the other things they did together. It was great to see them finally getting something they deserved and speaking up for what they wanted.

"Everyone, everything has a story. When you learn those stories, you learn experiences that fill you up, that expand your understanding. You add layers to your soul."pg 211 (ARC)

This book sounded like it had a super weird premise, (especially for a YA book) but in the end it turned out to be a really great book. Kasie West is a great author and I'm convinced that any type of weird premise paired with a super swoony book boy written by West will be well worth the read.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

This bookish meme tells the blogosphere what we're waiting patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) for! It's hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine!

It's a fairy-tale nightmare . . . One girl is kept in a room where every day the only food she's given is a poisoned apple. Another is kept in a room covered in needles -- and if she pricks her finger, she'll die. Then there are the brother and sister kept in a cell that keeps getting hotter and hotter. . . A sinister kidnapper is on the loose in Kate's world. She's not involved until one day she heads to her grandmother's house in the woods -- and finds her grandmother has also been taken. Already an outcast, Kate can't get any help from the villagers who hate her. Only Jack, another outsider, will listen to what's happened. Then a princess is taken, and suddenly the king is paying attention -- even though the girl's stepmother would rather he didn't. It's up to Kate and Jack to track down the victims before an ever after arrives that's far from happy.

Published by: Scholastic Press

Expected Publication: August 25, 2015

Why I'm Waiting:DID YOU READ THE SYNOPSIS? IT JUST SOUNDS REALLY COOL AND TWISTED OK?! Plus I want to see how they spin this. Will it be really creepy and make me terrified or will it be just a little weird like an MG? I can't wait to read it!

3. Max from Liars, Inc by Paula Stokes: Did you see the freaking stuff he went through? His past and everything that started happening to him as a teen?! Smh Most of it wasn't his fault, but still it's like he can't avoid trouble.

5.Blackbird from Blackbird by Anna Carey: It was never really explained what led to her getting captured in this book, but it all comes to light in the next one. Both times, it seemed like trouble was just following her. Everything she did ended up badly.

6. Kestrel from The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski: No matter what she did in this book, was discovered. And the end result wasn't pretty! When I read it I had to think that trouble couldn't keep following her like that. Even the most bad ass people need a break lol

8. Cinder from Cinder by Marissa Meyer: She's a cyborg (although I think that's pretty damn cool!), she's a convictd criminal, and she has all types of pressure on her. One false move and shit could go extremely wrong! And most times it has. She is always in trouble smh

9. Alex and Seth from the Covenant series: Alex's excuse was she was stubborn as hell. She didn't listen to anyone and most of the time ended up doing what they suggested, just in her own more difficult way. And by that I mean with something happening every time she turned around. And as for Seth, this is where his freaking trouble started. And it followed him to the next series smh

When Mia Corelli returns to Alabama for a summer of fun with her childhood best friend, Tessa, there's only one thing keeping her on edge. One person that she’d do anything to avoid. Benjamin Kelly. World’s biggest dickhead.
Mia hates him with a fury and has no desire to ever see him again. When she decides to start her summer off with a bang and finally give away her v-card, she unknowingly hands it over to the one guy that excelled at making her life miserable, learning a valuable lesson in the process. Always get the name of the guy you’re going home with. Ben can’t get the girl he spent one night with out of his head. When she leaves him the next morning, he thinks he’ll never see her again. Until he sees her lounging by the pool with his sister. Mia is determined to hate Ben, even though she can’t forget him. Ben is determined to prove he’s not the same guy he used to be. What happens when the one person you wish never existed becomes the one person you can’t imagine being without?

TAKE ME AWAY...

AFTER DARK!

*"This book is part of the new adult contemporary romance genre! It is more mature than both YA and MG. I have featured it in Take Me Away... After Dark as a way to feature the few Adult and New Adult titles I am beginning to read!" This book will contain storng language and explicit sexual scenes. Intended for adults 18 and up@

*MY THOUGHTS*

After saying that I wanted a steamy New Adult read, this was recommended to me FIVE times. Add that to the the fact that @Kinkygirlsbookobsessions has had this series all over their Instagram for the past few days, and I caved and bought it. I had some issues with it, but for the most part, I really enjoyed it. It was exactly what I needed and it gave me another NA author and series to read!

"...time changes people.'"
32%

Ben and Mia's story was sweet, but very messy. Growing up. Ben made Mia's life a living hell. Basically she hated him. And for good reason too. Some of the things he said to her should've cost him a punch or maybe more. What they weren't expecting was spending one night together (on accident) and having the time of their lives. And in the end falling for each other.

"Everyone stares at their fears when they're distracted.'"
33%

One thing that bothered me about this series was the insta-love. They fell for each other so quickly. Spending one night together does not equal love. It equals lust. But these two were so quick to jump to the "L- word" that it seemed like they had finally made up years ago. But because I liked the book so much, I just chalked it up to the fact that it was so short. (I ended up reading this book in less than 24 hours.) Another thing that bothered me was the way everything was happening just for plot movement. I understand that's how it's supposed to be, but this story was making it too predictable. I knew things would happen way before they even did. It just became too easy to guess which way the story was going.

"They can't rip your heart out if you don't let them anywhere near it'"
43%

What I did like about this one was the romance. It was seriously HAWT. Ben has to be the hottest talker on the planet. I also liked them together. There were times I had to stop reading to do something useful like get dinner or something. Anything to get my head out of the book because it was just too much. I kept trying to fan myself with my Nook lol Also, I liked the way the story was written. The wording was easy and it read and flowed so easily. That's part of the reason I finished it in a day. Although it was really short, I was still able to read through it quickly and didn't find myself having to think too much into it. Lastly, I loved the ending. It actually drew me right into the next book, which I read immediately. I had to find out what happened to Tessa and her family... And between Ben and Mia!

"...a fucking blind person would've seen the way the two of you acted around each other yesterday. I could've burned the place down and I thought either of you would've noticed.'"
43%

In short, Officer Benjamin Kelly was super HAWT and exactly what I needed at the time. Mia was sweet and simple and I loved that about her. Together they made a really sweet, hot couple and I loved that about them. I also loved the way that they loved each other. Although she tried to fight it in the beginning, Mia was smitten with him from then. I'm glad this series was recommended to me and I can see myself doing the same for others later in the future!

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Romantic and action-packed, The Replaced is the gripping second installment in the Taking trilogy.

Kyra hasn't been the same since she returned from her mysterious five-year disappearance. Now, on the run from the NSA, Kyra is forced to hide out with others who, like her, have been Returned. Yet she is determined to find Tyler, the boy she loves who was also abducted—all because of her. When her group intercepts a message that Tyler might still be alive but is in the hands of a shadowy government organization that experiments on the Returned, Kyra knows it's a risk to go after him. What if it's a trap? And worse, what if the returned Tyler isn't the same boy she lost? Perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and the Body Finder series, The Replaced is both chilling and explosive, with creepy, otherworldly elements and twisty, psychological thrills that will have you questioning what exactly it means to be human.

*MY THOUGHTS*

Although I did like this one, I wasn't as big a fan of it as I was of its predecessor. I;m pretty sure it was only because of me, because I just don't like on the run or road trip books as much as others. It may be the fact that they have too much time interacting with all the same characters.

In this second installment, Kyra is on the run from the NSA along with a group of others that have been Taken. But then the group gets a message that Tyler and who they think is her father are alive... Naturally this sparks some interest in them all and they decide as a group if they think its a trap or if it's safe for them to go find them. As they set on the road to escape the NSA once again, things start to heat up!

"Because here's the thing. If I could dream, it would be of him. Tyler But dreaming was one of those things only afforded to those who could sleep.'"
(ARC)

The action in this one was good, but there was too little of it. Either that or I'm not a huge fan of stories where the characters are on the run or on road trips. But at the same time, I was ok with it because when there were things going on, they were very good things. It felt like a filler book, but towards the end so many things were revealed. Some things I figured out and some others where I was left with an open mouth.

"Memory was a tricky thing.'"
(ARC)

As for the romance, I wasn't a fan of it in the first one and I'm still not a fan of it now. This is one ship I'm not on. It is still just too weird for me. I like them individually and I love how sweet he is, but it's just weird for them to be together. But with the "other" boy, I was very happy and wished that it would end up there. Buttttt of course Derting had other plans BECAUSE THAT ENDING THO. Why?! How am I supposed to wait this long for the next book? I need to know what the hell is going on! The ending to this one was kinda creepy. I can't wait to read the final book!

"It's your memories and life experiences, your hopes and fears and dreams and passions, that make you who you are....'"
(ARC)

Although this felt like just a filler for me, there were some things that helped to save it. The main thing being the ending. This series is a good one that makes on question whether we're the only ones on this side of the galaxy and how long have they been watching us.....

Friday, April 24, 2015

The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. Basically how it works is you follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. So looking forward to making new blogging friends & following blogs!

How did you come up with your blog title and address? does it have a special meaning for you?

Well time to get sentimental. When I started this blog, I was in college and I was looking for an easy way to ace an assignment. But then I got attached because the books I read were near and dear to me. So I changed it to something I'd want to keep around. So I started thinking of the reason I read books in the first place. My mom read to me since I was in the womb. She was the number one reason I started reading on my own at 4. Now when I was little, my family didn't have much money. We didn't go places unless they were free or really cheap. One of those places was the library. As soon as I stepped inside I started to imagine all the places each book could take me. And then when I finally cracked open the books I borrowed, I settled into my couch and relaxed as I went on journey after journey. I let each story "Take me Away on the Pages of their Story." And to this day, if the story has an interesting setting, it's a winner in my book!

Unfortunately, I was one of those newbies who didn't Google the name of their blog before hand. Now I know there are other book blogs and even some vacation blogs that come up when this name is searched, but at the same time I wouldn't change it for the world. There's a real reason I went with this name and I don't regret it at all. In fact, I think I would choose the same name all over again!

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and best friend Bee has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can return her focus to the important things in life: school, canoodling with David, her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie, and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant. Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or connect her to David for life.

*MY THOUGHTS*

Rebel Belle was one of my favorites of last year, so it's no guess that I was desperately waiting for this one. I just knew it would be filled with adventure and mayhem and the wit and sarcasm that only Hawkins can bring. Although it wasn't as good as the first, there was something that kept me tied to this book.

"You've never been able to admit that you were in over your head."
pg. 85

Miss Mayhem starts exactly where Rebel Belle left off. Coalition is over and things are starting to get back to normal (well as normal as can be) and Harper is beginning to get back to what she's always done: EVERYTHING she can. But unfortunately, her Paladin powers don't go away just because she wanted them to. Instead she gets word that the Ephors now want to train David....

"Guilt is such a weird feeling, a combination of sad and sick that I was getting too used to feeling."
pg. 139

Sadly, I wasn't as big a fan of this one as I was of the first one. In the first one there was so much action and adventure going on and I just couldn't put it down. In this one, there was still some of the action and things going on, but it just didn't hang on to me like the first one did. I hadn't wanted to put Rebel Belle down, but with this one, I just read it like "I'll finish it when I get to it." Not that it wasn't memorable, just that it wasn't quite as good. In other words, to me it was the dreaded sophomore novel.

"... Aunt Jewel always said you gathered more flies with honey than vinegar."
pg 158

I also wasn't a huge fan of that ending. What in the world made you think that was ok, Hawkins? Does that mean there will be three books? Because that was just a weird thing to do. I can't tell whether or not there will be more or if it's just over now. And that bugs me. I don't know if I should stop looking forward to something else or to just give up. PLEASE give me another one.

"Disappointment has a taste, I swear. Something kind of bitter in the back of your throat that you can''t quite swallow. It seemed like I was tasting it a lot these days."
pg. 167

Although this wasn't my favorite, it was certainly a quick, fun read. If there's not a third book, I'm sure I will definitely read this series again and again.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

This bookish meme tells the blogosphere what we're waiting patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) for! It's hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who's literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she's ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more. My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I'm allergic to the world.I don't leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black--black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can't predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Expected Publication: September 1, 2015

Published by: Delacorte Young Readers

Why I'm Waiting: This book seems so interesting to me because my sister is actually one of those people that are allergic to so many things. She's not as bad as the MC in this one, but she has had the pinprick test that tells what you're allergic to five times and she carries an Epi-pen. I feel that this would be something me and my sister would enjoy. Something she could relate to and enjoy. Because of that, I cannot wait to see more about this story.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we will post a new Top Ten list. Everyone is welcome to join.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten All Time Favorite Authors!

1. J. Lynn is one of my all time favorites. She's written so many different books and I've read at least one from every series she has. My most favorite series from her would have to be the Wait for You series!

2. J.K Rowling has been my favorite author for some time. I started reading the Harry Potter series in fifth grade and it continued as the books came out as I grew older. She will always be on the list when I say top favorite authors.

3. Marissa Meyer is a fairly new author, but after reading Cinder, she has definitely changed my world. I loved Cinder and when Scarlet came out I just about died. And now with Winter coming out this year, I can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve. Because believe you me, I will read anything this woman writes.

4. Rick Riordan is another one where I will read anything and everything he writes. I've read most of his books multiple times and I won't hesitate to read them again.

5. Morgan Matson/ Katie Finn is one contemp author that I've dubbed the Queen of Realistic Fiction. Every book by her I've loved and every book by Katie Finn I've loved as well. They've made me feel so many things and laugh out loud at so many things. If you haven't read anything by her, get to it soon!

6. Heather Demetrios hit my radar when I first read Something Real. I was smitten with Patrick that book from the beginning to the end. And then when I read I'll Meet You There, it solidified it. It was so good. I will now read anything and everything this woman writes too.

7. Katie McGarry is a wonderful author whom I've come to love. I remember reading her first book as a debut, and I'm not surprised I loved every other book she wrote since then.

8. Jessi Kirby gave me Golden and for that I couldn't be more grateful. She made me think about my life and contemplate how I was living it. And then she made me think the same thing after reading Things We Know by Heart, just in a different manner. I love her for not only writing an amazing story, but for making me think about things I don't normally think about.

9. Sarah J. Maas is a new found favorite of mine. After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, I fell in love. She made me want to read more fae, even though I don't like fae. She also made me want to read so much more fantasy even though fantasy wasn't my favorite genre. I can't wait to read even more by her.

10. Stephanie Perkins is one of the reasons I got into contemps. I wasn't a huge fan of them before, but Perkins changed me. The humor in her writing and the swoony parts with her boys, it was just all too much. I loved all her books and can't wait to read even more!

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About Me

29 years young. College grad. Working as a Youth Services Specialist. Masters from ALA accredited Univ. of North Texas (Library Science with a Youth Services certificate!) so that I can spread the word of literature to the youth. Books are a vacation and can take you anywhere you want to go... So follow me as I let books "Take Me Away... On the Pages of their Story."

Currently Reading

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Currently Listening:

A Stranger in the House by Shari LaPena

To all publishers and authors:

I do accept books (only MG/YA/NA)to be reviewed from big/small publishers or from any authors. I do not accept E-books. Also, I try not to review any books too far in advance of the publication date. Anyway, don’t hesitate to email me at pnh002@gmail.com.